The weather forecast for the week leading up to the event was dismal.
We were dreading the prospect of rain both days. We were lucky, though.
It was cold both mornings, and the road was wet for the first 40 miles
or so on Saturday, but it never rained on us. And Sunday we actually
got some sun.

I fixed three flat tires on the ride. The first came early in the ride
Saturday. I generally climb the hills at my own pace and wait for Jenny
at the top. As I was topping a mile long climb, my cell phone gave the
message alert tone. Who, I wondered,
would be leaving me a voice mail message at 7AM on a Saturday morning?

It was Jenny. "Marc, I have flat tire. Do you think you can come back
and help me with it?"

The long stream of riders struggling up the hill must have thought I'd
lost my mind when I turned around and headed back to the bottom.

Jenny had company when I arrived. Another lady cyclist had pulled up to
offer moral support. And a motorcycle was parked behind her with the
emergency flashers on.

Those motorcycles were a frequent and welcomed sight on the tour.
Volunteers patrolled the course, directing traffic, assisting cyclists
in need, and calling for help when necessary.

All three were looking at the bike. Jenny and the motorcycle rider
were fumbling with tire levers. None really knew how to change a flat.
So I gave a detailed lesson as I replaced the tube in Jenny's front
tire.

About 5 miles later, we rode up on a lady who had removed the front
wheel from her bike and was staring at it with a puzzled expression.
Do you need any help? I asked as we approached.

If you don't mind, she said. "I'll watch closely so I can fix it
myself next time."

She had the exact same bike as Jenny. The only two I've seen. I gave
another crash course in roadside tire repair and we were on our way
again.

At the first food stop in Rockford, we saw the lady that had lent
moral support to Jenny. Have you fixed any more flats? she asked.

Yes. In fact, I have. She hadn't expected my reply.

Really!? Yours or your wife's?

I told her the story. A few minutes later she found us again. Hey,
she said, "This is my friend! We've been riding together. I was
wondering where she was." She had her arm around the lady whose tire I
had repaired.

What a coincidence. Out of 800 riders, the two we'd met so far were
together.

The third flat was my own. On Sunday morning I discovered my rear tire
was flat as we were leaving the hotel room. At least that time I had
the comfort a chair and a warm room to make the repair.

In another coincidence, we met a couple that had ridden the Spokane
Autumn Century the week before. They happened to be in the
crash I wrote about.
They were following the lady that cried out and crashed right behind me.
Apparently she completely lost control of her bike as she
approached the corner. The woman we met on the TDL said she saw it
unfold in front of her and shouted over her shoulder, Rider down. Her
partner didn't hear what she'd said. When he finally saw the rider down
it was too late. He slid into his partner, taking them both down, as he
tried to avoid the fallen rider.

Obviously, they weren't badly injured. We met them at the St. Maries
food stop about 65 miles into the first day's ride. They were riding
well.

Another sight that became familiar on the ride was the Bike Doctor. A
gentleman from Wenatchee has a fully equipped bicycle repair business in
a trailer he pulls behind his truck. We saw him at just about every
food stop and he always seemed busy. We heard other cyclists talking
happily about the repairs they'd had done while they waited.

I bought a pair of cleats from him. Jenny and I both had worn cleats,
but I didn't replace them until after the ride, anyway. I just wanted
to give the Bike Doctor a bit of business in hopes it would help make
his weekend profitable. I'd like to see him on rides we do in the
future. You never know when you might need a repair.

The ride was a real treat. We covered some back roads we haven't been
on in the 13 years we've lived here, saw some great scenery, enjoyed the
outdoors, met some fine people, and met a long standing goal—to do the
Tour Des Lacs.